I was in Rome recently and it was 43 degrees with the asphalt melting underfoot, so I went to my favourite (airconditioned) gallery – The Borghese – to hang out with Bernini’s Apollo & Daphne marble sculpture.

Still not wanting to deal with the heat, I walked across the park to the La Galleria Nazionale – The Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. I found myself in this extraordinary gallery virtually on my own. It seems that everyone wants only traditional art when in Rome.

When I was at La Galleria Nazionale, I realised that we have a certain way of seeing art, or more specifically art is presented to us in a conventional way. I have never questioned that.

Seeing in a different way

Take for example marble sculptures. They are on a plinth so you look up at them. They are facing you, so often you can’t see the back or the whole work. There is a rope around them so you can’t get too close.

At La Galleria Nazionale, they mix old with new and I walked into a room with a stunning Dante sculpture of Diana. It was facing the wall, and wasn’t on a plinth or with a rope around it. It was extraordinary. I had a completely different experience with it.

It kind of blew my mind actually.

Unhooking from convention

It made me think about convention or specifically what would happen if we if we started to see objects, problems, things in our lives in different ways.

What would change if we unhooked ourselves from convention? What we think is…right, wrong, good, bad, predetermined, front, back…or “it’s just the way we do things”.

Often we only see what we want to see: visions that match our fixed beliefs and perspectives. I believe that anything that is defined in a limited way is open to transformation. When we lift that limitation, we have the opportunity to flourish in ways we never even imagined.

Opening yourself to change

When we dream a different reality, all its many dimensions flourish in a way so far removed from convention. We open the space toward what can be and will be more vibrant worlds to come.

So what in your life or business would benefit from flipping from front to back, or questioning the conventional approach? What would happen if you saw your life in different ways?

It doesn’t mean anything has to change. But my gosh…what if it did and it brought new wonderful experiences you never even dreamed of.

Tweetable: What would change if we unhooked ourselves from convention? @CatrionaPollard bit.ly/2x37Bmg

I caught up with Angharad Rixon from TextileStories and had a wonderful chat about how starting basketry had helped me find my hidden passion and creativity.

I spoke about how I use materials to tell my stories, how I find the material and then deciding what to make and bring my vision to life!

I share how organic sculptures offer an opportunity to reflect on our own interconnectedness with each other and the world which surrounds us, inviting us to see the beauty in ordinary objects and slow the pace of our daily lives.

My exhibition ‘I am of you’ at Sturt Gallery was inspired by how everyone is so interconnected but also so disconnected from the world around us, this concept is inspired by the belief that we are inextricably linked with everything around us, the trees, the soil, the water, and all living things.

I talk about how I teach the exploration of basketry and creativity, not just process, but how even while I may have a plan for my art, it can change at any moment, and I may not even realise that the piece is actually completed at all!

I spoke of my struggle with confidence before teaching my first basket weaving class, and how I had thought that because my pieces weren’t very traditional, I didn’t have enough traditional knowledge to teach. But little did I know, it’s not about the structure it’s about your creativity and finding your own way, and using the skills you may not even know you have to make amazing pieces of art.

I’ve said it many times, we need to redefine the spotlight and understand we all deserve to be there and share our voice with the people that matter to us.

I experienced the beauty of this last Saturday. I had my sculpture exhibition opening and it was opened by my 6 year old nephew.

Most people would have had a local dignitary or well-known artist to open their exhibition. But no, not me.

My nephew was so excited about my exhibition – it just really struck a chord with him. He asked if he could do some paintings to be put up at the exhibition and talk about them at the opening.

Hell yes! The sweetest 6 year old-style paintings have their own section at the exhibition. And I love them.

The opening of the exhibition was an amazing opportunity for someone so young to share his voice and be in the spotlight of his choosing. And this spotlight moment was him standing on a chair in the middle of the gallery, with my arm around him and talking for 20 seconds to more than 60 people.

But do you know what? It was the best art exhibition opening I have ever been to. His little talk made everyone laugh and be filled with joy. It made them feel something (which coincidently is what my art asks of the viewer as well).

And then I said a few words, followed by some words from the photography artist, Karen Visser, I’m exhibiting with who has never done any public speaking before.

Leading up to the opening I asked her if she’d like to speak, she said no, “You’re the public speaker you can speak for both of us.”

But it was also her spotlight moment. It was her time to share her voice with so many of the people that matter to her. It was her time to talk about what she loves.

At the end of her talk she said, “Gosh, I hope that was OK, I’ve never publicly talked before” and then my nephew ran over, held my hand and said to the audience, “It’s the first time I have done public speaking too”. Which lead to much laughter and clapping. So much love.

No matter what your age, you belong in the spotlight and people want to hear what you have to say. I know this to be true.

PS. Come along and see my exhibition. Details here. Want to play and explore your creativity? Learn Sculptural Random Weave with me this Sunday, 28 May. Learn how to create something beautiful from found plant material just using your hands and imagination. Warringah Creative Space, Sunday, 28 May. Book here.

Tweetable: No matter what your age, you belong in the spotlight and people want to hear what you have to say @CatrionaPollard http://bit.ly/2qddLS9

Stunning video of my work and Karen Visser’s photography by Karen Visser and original music by Jerome Duval-Fleury.